How the world works

Mini Money Masters is a structured financial education program that teaches children how money works in real life. The curriculum builds sequentially from earning and spending to saving, investing, entrepreneurship, and long-term planning. Each lesson reinforces practical decision making, confidence, and independence using real world examples appropriate for ages 8 to 13. The program is designed as three progressive four-lesson modules. Each module can stand alone or be taken as part of the full 12-lesson experience.

Teacher based in West Orange, NJ

$50.00 / class, per student

⏳ Pending location — final details aren’t confirmed yet. Check back soon.

Taxes do not have to be confusing. In this practical, hands-on course, students learn how the U.S. federal income tax system works and how to prepare a basic individual federal tax return. Starting with a paycheck and a W-2, students will learn how income is reported, why taxes are withheld, who is required to file, and how to complete Form 1040 step by step. The course also introduces common tax documents, filing status, dependents, deductions, credits, refunds, taxes owed, and the differences between employees, independent contractors, and self-employed workers. Using realistic sample scenarios and tax forms, students will practice preparing federal income tax returns and learn how to recognize common mistakes, protect sensitive information, and understand what happens after a return is filed. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to read common tax documents, understand the basic structure of the U.S. federal income tax system, complete a basic Form 1040 using sample information, determine whether a taxpayer is due a refund or owes additional tax, and navigate the federal tax-filing process with greater confidence. Important note: This course is for educational purposes and teaches general federal tax concepts using fictional examples. It does not provide individualized tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax laws and filing requirements may change from year to year. Course Length: 10 classes, 1 hour each Recommended for: High school students and young adults Format: Interactive instruction, real-world examples, sample tax forms, and hands-on filing practice

$45.00 / class, per student

⏳ Pending location — final details aren’t confirmed yet. Check back soon.

Have you ever had an idea for a product, service, or project and wondered how to turn it into a real business? In this hands-on course, students will learn how businesses are created and operated. They will explore how entrepreneurs identify problems, develop solutions, research customers, set prices, create a brand, market their products, and manage basic business finances. Throughout the program, each student or student team will develop an original business idea and create a simple business plan. The course concludes with a presentation in which students pitch their business to the class. No previous business experience is required. The course is designed for students in 6th grade and older, with assignments and financial concepts adjusted to the students’ ages. Learning Objectives By the end of the program, students will be able to: Explain what an entrepreneur does. Identify a problem that could become a business opportunity. Describe a target customer. Conduct basic market and competitor research. Create a product or service concept. Calculate basic costs, revenue, and profit. Develop a business name, brand, and marketing message. Understand basic business structures, permits, taxes, and responsibilities. Create a simple business plan. Present a persuasive business pitch. Course Project Each student or team will create a business concept and complete the following: Business name and logo Description of the product or service Customer profile Competitor analysis Pricing and cost estimate Marketing plan Simple financial projection Business pitch

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Course description How does Connecticut state government affect our schools, roads, businesses, environment, healthcare, taxes, and everyday lives? In this interactive course, students will learn how Connecticut’s state government is organized, what decisions it makes, how state officials are elected, how laws are created, and how state taxes are collected and spent. Students will explore the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; identify the responsibilities of the governor, state legislators, state agencies, and courts; and distinguish between local, state, and federal authority. They will follow a bill through the Connecticut General Assembly, participate in a mock public hearing, examine a simplified state budget, and decide how limited public funds should be allocated. By the end of the course, students will know how to find their elected representatives, follow proposed legislation, understand where Connecticut receives its money, examine how the state spends it, and communicate effectively with state officials. Connecticut has three branches of government. Voters elect six statewide officers—the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of the state, treasurer, comptroller, and attorney general—to four-year terms. The General Assembly consists of 36 state senators and 151 state representatives. Most state judges are nominated by the governor and appointed by the General Assembly. Learning objectives By the end of the program, students will be able to: Explain the difference between local, state, and federal government. Describe the responsibilities of Connecticut’s three branches. Identify Connecticut’s major elected officials and explain how they are selected. Explain how a proposal becomes a Connecticut law. Identify major policy areas controlled or influenced by state government. Explain how Connecticut collects taxes and other revenue. Describe how the state budget is proposed, debated, approved, and monitored. Find their state senator and state representative. Read basic information about a bill or state budget. Write and present testimony about a Connecticut issue.

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Course description Who makes decisions about Florida’s schools, roads, insurance markets, beaches, elections, environmental resources, public safety, and state budget? Students explore Florida’s three branches of government, its distinctive governor-and-Cabinet structure, annual legislative session, court system, elections, tax structure, state agencies, and budget. They learn how Florida’s reliance on sales and consumption-based taxes differs from states that impose individual income taxes. Florida-specific foundation Florida’s Cabinet consists of three independently elected statewide officials—the attorney general, chief financial officer, and commissioner of agriculture—who exercise certain responsibilities alongside the governor. The Florida Legislature has 40 senators and 120 representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, representatives serve two-year terms, and the regular annual legislative session is generally limited to 60 days. Florida’s court system includes the Supreme Court, six district courts of appeal, 20 circuit courts, and 67 county courts. Supreme Court justices and appellate judges are appointed and later face merit-retention votes; most circuit and county judges are selected in nonpartisan elections. Florida does not impose an individual state income tax. Its revenue structure includes sales and use tax, corporation income tax, fuel taxes, fees, federal funds, and other revenue. Florida’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

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Course description How do decisions in Springfield affect Chicago, suburban communities, rural counties, schools, transportation, public pensions, taxes, healthcare, and local government? Students examine Illinois’s six elected executive officers, General Assembly, elected judiciary, taxes, budget, state agencies, and extensive network of local governments and special districts. Illinois-specific foundation Illinois has six elected executive officers: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller, and treasurer. The Illinois General Assembly consists of a 59-member Senate and 118-member House of Representatives. Each Senate district contains two representative districts. Representatives serve two-year terms, while Senate terms follow staggered patterns involving four- and two-year terms after each redistricting cycle. The Illinois Supreme Court has seven justices elected from five judicial districts. Illinois appellate judges are elected and subsequently face retention elections rather than running against an opponent for each new term. Illinois collects individual and corporate income taxes, sales and use taxes, and other state revenue. Property taxes are primarily local rather than administered as a state tax. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget prepares the governor’s annual budget for submission to the General Assembly.

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Course description Who decides whether a road is repaired, a new building is approved, a school program is funded, or a town ordinance is adopted? How are property taxes calculated, and where does that money go? How can a resident raise a concern, speak at a public meeting, request government records, or help change a local policy? In this interactive course, students will investigate how the Town of New Canaan operates. They will learn about the First Selectman and Board of Selectmen, Town Council, Board of Finance, Board of Education, Town Clerk, Registrars of Voters, municipal departments, and appointed boards and commissions. Students will distinguish between elected officials, appointed volunteers, and professional town employees. Students will follow a local proposal from an idea to a government decision, examine a simplified New Canaan budget, calculate property taxes using assessments and a mill rate, participate in a mock Town Council hearing, and develop a civic action plan for an issue they care about. By the end of the course, students will understand not only who makes local decisions, but also how New Canaan residents can participate responsibly and effectively. Learning objectives By the end of the program, students will be able to: Explain what municipal government is and how it differs from state and federal government. Describe New Canaan’s local government structure. Distinguish among executive, legislative, financial, educational, regulatory, and administrative responsibilities. Explain how elected and appointed officials obtain their positions. Identify which town body or department handles a particular local issue. Describe how a local ordinance is proposed, reviewed, and adopted. Explain how New Canaan develops and approves its annual budget. Calculate a simplified property-tax bill using assessed value and a mill rate. Locate agendas, minutes, meeting recordings, budgets, ordinances, and public records. Prepare respectful public comments or written testimony. Develop a realistic plan for addressing a community issue.

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Course description How do decisions made in Trenton affect New Jersey’s schools, transportation network, property taxes, environmental policy, public safety, healthcare, and municipalities? Students examine New Jersey’s strong executive branch, Legislature, unified court system, elections, taxes, annual budget, state agencies, and relationship with counties and municipalities. New Jersey-specific foundation New Jersey’s Legislature has 40 legislative districts. Each district elects one senator and two General Assembly members, producing a 40-member Senate and an 80-member Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms. Senators ordinarily serve four-year terms, with a two-year term at the beginning of each post-redistricting decade—the state’s “2-4-4” cycle. New Jersey has a comparatively concentrated executive structure. Voters elect the governor and lieutenant governor, while the governor appoints major department heads and many other officials subject to Senate confirmation. New Jersey has a unified statewide judiciary. Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Tax Court judges are nominated by the governor and considered by the state Senate, while municipal court judges generally receive local appointments. New Jersey administers individual gross-income, sales and use, corporation-business, and other taxes. Local property taxes are administered through local and county systems. The governor submits an annual budget, and a balanced Appropriations Act must be approved and signed before July 1.

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Course description How are decisions made in Albany, and how do those decisions affect New York City, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and communities throughout the state? In this course, students investigate New York’s executive branch, Legislature, courts, elections, taxes, budget, public authorities, and state agencies. They follow a bill through the Senate and Assembly, explore New York’s unusual court structure, examine how the state collects and spends money, and learn how residents can communicate with elected officials and participate in public decision-making. New York-specific foundation New York’s Legislature has 63 senators and 150 Assembly members, all elected for two-year terms. Statewide voters elect the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller. New York has a mixed judicial-selection system. The Court of Appeals—the state’s highest court—has seven judges appointed by the governor with Senate consent for 14-year terms. New York Supreme Court, despite its name, is primarily a trial court; its justices are elected from judicial districts. New York collects personal income, sales and use, corporation, and other specialized taxes. The governor prepares an Executive Budget, which the Legislature reviews and modifies

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Course description Texas has one of the country’s most distinctive state-government systems. Authority is divided among numerous independently elected officials, the Legislature meets in regular session only once every two years, and the judicial branch has two separate highest courts. Students investigate the Texas Constitution, plural executive, Legislature, courts, elections, taxes, natural-resource revenue, two-year budget, and the role of counties and cities. Texas-specific foundation Texas uses a plural executive, distributing power among the governor and several independently elected officials. The governor is elected for four years, while the lieutenant governor has a particularly important legislative role as presiding officer of the Senate. The secretary of state, by contrast, is appointed and serves as the state’s chief election officer. The Texas Legislature has 31 senators and 150 representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, representatives serve two-year terms, and regular sessions occur in odd-numbered years for no more than 140 days. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Supreme Court of Texas for civil matters and the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters. Each has nine members, and statewide appellate judges are elected. Texas uses a two-year budget process. The Comptroller issues a Biennial Revenue Estimate that establishes the revenue available for legislative budgeting. Sales tax is the largest source of state tax revenue; franchise tax and oil and natural-gas production taxes are also significant.

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Money affects many of the decisions people make every day. Understanding how to earn, save, spend, borrow, and protect money helps students become more confident and responsible consumers. In this practical financial literacy course, students will learn how to create a budget, open and use a bank account, understand debit and credit cards, build a credit score, compare loans, read a paycheck, recognize financial scams, and make informed financial decisions. Students will complete realistic activities such as creating a monthly budget, comparing bank accounts, reviewing sample credit reports, calculating loan payments, and planning for future financial goals. The course is designed for students in 6th grade and older. Examples and calculations can be adjusted for middle school or high school students. Learning Objectives By the end of the program, students will be able to: • Distinguish between income, expenses, savings, and debt. • Create and manage a personal budget. • Explain the difference between needs and wants. • Understand how checking and savings accounts work. • Use debit cards, checks, transfers, and payment applications responsibly. • Explain how interest affects savings and debt. • Understand credit reports and credit scores. • Compare credit cards and different types of loans. • Read a basic paycheck and understand common deductions. • Recognize scams, identity theft, and unsafe financial offers. • Set realistic short-term and long-term financial goals. Course Project Students will create a personal financial plan that includes: • Monthly income • Fixed and variable expenses • Savings goals • Emergency fund • Banking plan • Credit-building plan • Major purchase or education goal • Strategies for avoiding unnecessary debt

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